A Tribute to JM

 

Surprisingly, I didn’t shop a lot on my trip to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur last week. I didn’t shop at all in KL (just sandals and t-shirts, really can’t be called shopping), and the only things that I picked up in Singapore are just an Andrew Gn shirt, some home accessories from Ikea, and some books and CD from Border’s. Maybe it’s my resolution to be more financially savvy this year (although my friends who read this would probably scream “dasar pelit” once I show up at the office tomorrow bringing nothing hahaha), maybe it’s just the whole F-1 experience that was so overwhelming: nothing beats barely seeing the race cars as they moved so damn fast, becoming temporarily deaf from the sound of the race car engines, and smelling the tires wounding the ashpalt.
Nevertheless, believe it or not, my most valuable find on the trip is this. I’ve never been a great fan of anyone, yeah I do have some favorite authors or singers or actors or bands or whatever. But for John Mayer, I’d go the extra length (despite the Jessica Simpson phase which threw me off a bit). It’s not just his wide music taste, his funny and friendly disposition, but it’s also his amazingly honest way in writing songs. The words are genuine, vivid, engaging, yet get you thinking at the same time. His live concert in Nokia Amphitheater DVD sets me back more than all those shirts I bought in KL, but it’s worth every penny (although of course, nothing beats flying to L.A and seeing it live myself).  But for now, sitting here, watching him pouring his heart out singing “In Your Atmosphere” is enough.
Quoting him would be the right thing to do right now: “Wherever I go, whatever I do, I wonder where I am in my relationship to you.”

PS: And yes, I’m finally writing again just four hours upon returning from the trip.  Which for me, is priceless.

Flying is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off

Tickets: check. Hotel reservation: check. iPod and mobile phone and their respective chargers: check.  Camera: check. Circuit map: check. Sunglasses (I know it’s a night race but still gonna need it to walk around during the day hehe): check. Passport (almost lost this the other day): check. Multiple currencies money: check. Cards: check. Itinerary and contact details sheet: check.  There’s only one thing left to do, the hardest one of them all: packing. Anyone care to help me before tomorrow?

I Hate Packing

 

I don’t think it’s being said enough, but packing is the worst part of any traveling. Preparing for the packing, on the other hand, is totally fun (when I said preparing what I really meant is shopping for the stuff you think you might need for the trip hahaha).  Usually what I do is hand-pick the clothes and the things that I need for the trip, leave them next to the suitcase, go to sleep, and by the next morning everything is folded and packed neatly in my suitcase – the packing fairy did it for me ; ).  But I don’t only hate packing, I’m also bad at it.  Every time I’m about to fly home from wherever I am, on business trips or holidays, I just throw everything on the suitcase without even folding them.  And I usually buy so much on the trip that I end up needing an extra bag.  On a recent three-day trip to meet friends in Bandung, I flew there with a cabin-size suitcase and ended up buying a traveling bag at the end of the trip.

Anyway, last night, I tried to do the packing myself.  And here’s what I got in my traveling bag: a pair of shoes, a pair of sandals, a toiletries bag with everything in it, a leather pouch for keeping my two purses, iPod, mobile phones and chargers, pen, and cards, the JBL box (with extra earplugs and cables for the iPod), a pair of jeans, a pair of jeans shorts, a hooded sweatshirt (it’s supposed to be kinda cold where I’m going), a knitted jacket, two pairs of PJs, a V-neck sweater, two polo shirts, two t-shirts, two tank-tops, a book, and a towel.  And one might ask, how long is the trip?  Oh, just for the weekend ; )